Station selector for radio apparatus



March 28, 1950 R. w. RITZERT STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30, 1947 INVENTOR. mama BY W2 azmcffiawf ATTORNEYS March 8, 1950 R. w. RITZERT STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS s Sheets-Sheet '2 Filed Oct. 50, 1947 ATTORNEYS March 28, 1950 R. w. RITZERT STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 001;. 30, 1947 R O N E V m T March 28, 1950 R. w. RITZERT 2,501,853

STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30', 1947 Sheets-Sheet 4 z 38 40 4A Z7 b INVENTOR.

I BMW ATTORNEYS March 28; 1950 RrrzER-r 2,501,853

STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS Filed Oct. 50, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS R. W. RITZERT STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS March 28, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 30, 1947 7;J VENTOR.'-

alwfi g ATTORNEYS March 28, 1950 R. w. RITZEERT 2,501,853

STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS Filed 001;. so, 1947 a sheets-sheet '7 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS R. W. RITZERT STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS March 28, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Oct. 30, 1947 Nhu ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 28, 1950 STATION SELECTOR FOR RADIO APPARATUS 7 Robert W. Ritzert, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Hammarlund Manufacturing Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 30, 1947, Serial N0. 783,207

11 Claims. 1

'This invention relates to means for mechanically controlling rotation of a rotor to any one of a series of precisely determined, preselected positions. such means may be adapted for a variety of uses. A conspicuous use and the one for which the illustrative apparatus was primarily contrived is found in a push-button tuner for radio apparatus. For illustrative purposes, therefore, the invention will be described as embodied in a push-button tuner for radio apparatus.

The illustrative apparatus discloses an automatic station selector mechanism adapted for use in the ultra high frequency field, for tuning in television and frequency modulation stations. This apparatus will be described herein with special emphasis upon ultra high frequency use because it embodies features which give it a special adaptability for meeting the exacting requirements of such use.

The band widths assigned to television and frequency modulation stations run from 44 to 216 megacycles, a very wide range. In order automatically to effect preset tuning, where such a wide range is covered, it is necessary that a setting be accurate to Within a very small fraction of 1% of the range covered. To the attainment of this end, it is important that the tuning mechanism have extensive movement, and that the station selector which measures and arrests the operation of the tuning mechanism also have extensive movement and be capable of very preand in proportion to the tuner drive, but are A carried by rotary members which are adapted to be declutched for resetting.

It is'a further feature of the invention that each settable stop when set is yieldingly biased into the path of the cooperative operated stop,

and is provided with an abrupt arresting surface for engaging the operated stop in one direction of rotation of the latter and with a cam surface adapting it to be cammed aside by the operated stop in the opposite direction'ofrota on. .i

It is a further feature of the invention that Vernier adjusting mechanisms are provided for precisely adjusting the effective positions of the stops of one set, so that the limits of movement determined by the cooperation of the stops can be precisely determined.

It is a still further feature that mechanism is provided which acts automatically upon the actuation of a station selector key to operate the motor backward to a limit position in which the tuner is at one limit of its range of operation and all the operated stops are in back of the effective positions of their cooperative non-operated stops, then to reverse the motor for driving the tuner and the operated stops forward to select a station, and finally to open circuit and arrest the motor as an incident of the arresting of the tuner and stop mechanism by the particular settable stop which is set in effective position.

It is an important feature of the invention that although the operated stop carriers and the tuner are connected for concurrent and uniformly proportional operation without slipping, provision ismade for permitting the motor to overthrow when the tuner and the stop mechanism are abruptly arrested. As soon as a pair of cooperative stops becomes effective, the motor is open-circuited and the connection from the motor to the tuner and stop operating mechanism becomes a frictional drive connection, so that the momentom of the motor as the motor is brought to rest urges the operated stop against the cooperative settable stop. In this way the violenceof the blow when the stops engage is relieved, and any tendency toward rebounding is overcome.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this speciiication Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of station selector and tuner mechanism embodying features of the invention the parts being shown in a station selected condition;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in elevation taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 4 looking in the direc tion of the arrows, the parts being shown in the same condition as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation,

partly broken away, and cut away intermediate its ends for compactness of illustration, showing the mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view, partly broken away, and cut away intermediate its ends, of the mechanism of Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken upon the line -5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary view of a guiding and arresting bar, the fragmentary showing of the bar in Fig. 6 being in alignment with the same bar as shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line 1'! of Fig. 2 looking in the directional of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the first two of the station selector keys seen in Fig. 2 and the mechanism operated by them, the second key being set in effective position, and. the previously set key being released and restored, the stop carrying gears being still in the position of Fig. 2 but about to be rotated in a clockwise direction;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail view showing the position of a certain pawl and lever mechanism and a motor reversing switch controlled thereby immediately after the operation of the key in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 shows the same pawl and lever mechanism together after the stop carrying gears have been driven in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 8, the parts being operated to effect the reversal of the motor;

Fig. 11 shows the stop carrying gears driven in a counter-clockwise direction after reversing the motor and arrested by the settable and operated stops associated with the second key of Fig. 8.;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional detail view illustrating principally the mounting of the stop carrying and timing gears;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional detail view showing a pair of the settable stops, the carriers therefor, and vernier adjusting mechanism for the carrier; and

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view illustrating electrical motor operating circuits and the principal control elements therefor.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the illustrative mechanism, the principal parts and their functions will be briefly pointed out.

A station selector unit I, Fig. 1, is connected to drive the settable shaft or rotor 2 of an inductance tuning unit 3. The output'shaft 4 of a shaded pole reversible A. C. motor 5 is connected to drive a long pinion 6 which forms a part of the unit I (see Fig. 4 also). The pinion 6 is normally in mesh with a timing gear I and with stop carrying gears 8 to 8h, inclusive. The pinion 6 is also connected through gears 9 and I0 (Figs. 1 and 3) to drive the tuner shaft 2.

The gears 1 and 8 and 8a to 8h as well as the tuner shaft 2 are normally positively driven by the pinion 8, so that the gears and their stops are operated in unison with one another and in proportion to the tuner without the possibility of slipping. The stops on the various gears are disposed in different angular positions. The stops carried by gears 8 to 871., respectively, are cooperative with corresponding settable stops l l and Ila 'to ll h, inclusive, which stops are selectively and alternatively set in effective positions by station selecting keys l2 and IZa to Hit.

Without going into detail at the moment, the principle of operation of the mechanism may be briefly indicated. When a station selecting key such as [2 is thrust rearward, as in Fig. 2, it releases any station setting key that may previously have been operated, and itself remains engaged and held in a rearward position. At the same time, it causes the stop II to be displaced rearwardly in an effective position and to be yleldingly held in such position so long as the key is not returned to its normal, ineffective position.

At the time when the stop II is thrust rearwardly, the mechanism may be in any angular position within the operative range through the previous selection of any station or through manual tuning, so that some of the gear carried stops may be located in advance of arresting position, and others may be located behind the arresting position. The cooperative stops are adapted properly to select the station only by arresting operation of the stop carrying gears in a forward (counterclockwise) direction, as the gears are viewed in Fig. 2.

Since the tuner 3 has only a limited range of movement, unlimited, unidirectional rotation of the stop carrying gears is not feasible. It is important, therefore, that all of the station selecting gear carried stops be located behind or clockwise from the stop arresting position as the parts are viewed in Fig. 2 before they are carried forward for actually effecting station selection. The

stops H and Ila to Hit are accordingly arranged so that they can be cammed aside by the gear carried stops as the gears are operated clockwise, but so that they may intercept and arrest the gear carried stops when the gear carried stops are driven counterclockwise.

When a station selector key is thrust rearward (as in Fig. 8), the motor is set into operation to drive the stop carrying gears in a clockwise direction until the tuner has been driven to one limit of its movement. At that point an abutment carried by the timer gear 1 causes the motor to be reversed (Fig. 10), so that the timer and the stop carrying gears are driven in the opposite direction until the settable stop which is interposed in the path of its cooperative gear carried stop intercepts the latter stop and arrests the forward or counterclockwise operation of the gears (as in Fig. 11) thereby arresting the tuner at a definite, predetermined frequency.

The stop carrying gears are individually mounted in rockable carriers, the gear I being mounted in a carrier I3 and the gears 8 and 8a to 3h being mounted in carriers l4 and [4a to Hlh, respectively (Figs. 2, 4, '7 and 12). All the carriers are pivotally mounted and are spring urged in a direction to cause the gears carried by them to mesh with the long pinion 6.

A manual tuning key I5 is provided (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 14) whereby all of the station selecting keys are restored to normal positions, and all the settable stops are withdrawn and. rendered ineffective. The manual tuning key, itself, is returned to normal, ineffective position by the actuation of any station selecting key to set a station selecting stop.

When it is desired to set the station selector mechanism to bring in a particular station by the actuation of a particular selecting key, the manual tuning key is first depressed, and a manual tuning knob l6 (Fig. 3). is then turned to run the timing gear 1 backward, clockwise in Fig. l, to its rearward limit of movement, at the same time operating the tuner to one of its limits of movement.

The station selector gear whose train is to be used for selecting the particular station is then declutched (as in Fig. 12, with the pinion 6), being held out of mesh a short distance by a thin spacer inserted between the gear carrier and a stationary part of the selector unit frame, and

-45 hu s. 1 and 4').

the'manual tuning-knob is then operated to tune in the desired station. The selected stop carrying gear is then rotated manually relative to the pinion 6 to carry its stop as nearly as can be judged into the arresting position, that is to say, into position to engage its cooperative settable stop, if the'latter were at the moment set in effective position.

- The spacer is then removed and the gar is allowed to reengage the pinion 6. The selected key associated with the gear chosen is then thrust rearward, and the mechanism goes through its usual cycle with the gear carried stop which has just been set cooperating with its settable stop tofdetermine the final position of the parts.

If it is found that the station is not tuned in to the best advantage, the cooperative settable stop may be adjusted in position by a vernier adjusting screw of which ten are provided, one for each stationselecting train, these screws being designated, respectively, I! and Ila to h, in clusive.

With this-general understanding of the setting up and operation of the mechanism, the detailed description which is to follow will be readily understood.

The station selecting unit I includes a frame which comprises side plates [8 and I9 and a front plate 25! (Figs. 1, 3 and 4). The frame is desirably made very rigid in order to eliminate unwanted play, thereby to insure precise operation of the parts. Frame bars 2| and 22 are secured, respectively, to the plates l8 and [9 by rivets 23' and 24, while cross bars 25 and 26 are arranged tointerconnect the bars 2| and 22 and to protrude beyond them at the front and rear of the unit, being secured to the bars 2| and 22 by screws 2'1. The front plate is secured to the cross bar by screws 28 which are passed through the plate 20 and through spacing collars 29 and arethre'aded into the bar 25. The plate 2 is also secured by screws 30 to a cross bar 31, which extends between the plates l8 and [9 at the forward ends of the latter, and is secured to the plates by screws 32. The cross bars 25 and 2B are formed with openings 33, through which screws or other fastenings may be inserted for attaching the unit to the chassis of a receiving set.

- A bar 34 extends from front to rear of the unit, being connected to the right hand ends of the bars 25 and 26 by screws 35 (Figs. 3 and 4). The bar 34 forms a part of the structure for supportinga motor carrying plate 36. Additional tie members are provided between the side plates l8 and it. Since these members serve additional functions in connection with specific mechanisms to he described, they will not be described at this point, but will be referredto incidentally in connection with the description of the mechanisms with which they are associated.

38 is secured to the rod 40 by a screw 45. The

upright rod-31is secured to the rod 42 by a hook The hook 46 partially embracestheround rod 42, and has a threaded stem portion which extends rearwardly through the upright rod 31. A nut 41 threaded on the stem of the hook 46 draws the hook rearwardly, and causes the rod 42 to be firmly clamped between the forward end of the hook and the upright rod 37. I

The upright rods 31 and 38 extend above the selector unit I to support the tuner unit 3.

The tuner unit 3 as herein illustrated comprises a casing member 51 in the form of a casting (Fig. 1). As shown, the member 5! has a solid bottom wall 52, an upright rear wall 53 formed with openings 54 for a purpose which will be described, and with end walls 56 and 51 (Fig. 3). The casing member 5| is also provided with a series of partitions or shields 58. The casing member 5| is secured to the posts 31 and 38 by screws 59.

The tuner includes a ceramic shaft section 60 (forming part of shaft 2), upon which several Variable inductance units 6! are made fast (Fig. 3). The rod is provided at the right hand end thereof with a brass cap 62 in the end of which a steel-bearing ball 63 is seated. A set screw 64 threaded through the wall 56 is formed with a screw-driver slot 65 in one end, and has a recess in the opposite end for receiving the ball 63. The set screw 64 is adjusted so as to cause the ball to support the adjacent end of the shaft and to align the shaft axially with the screw. A lock nut 66 is provided for retaining the screw 64 in adjusted position.

At the opposite end of the shaft section 50 provision is made of a metallic sleeve 61 which is fixed on one end of the shaft section and serves as an extension thereof. The sleeve is provided with flanges 68 and 69 between which a series of discs Hi (Figs. 2 and 3), each having a single finger H, are mounted with freedom for rotation relative to one another and relative to the sleeve.

An end disc 12 of the series also hasa finger 1]. The disc 12 is made fast with the sleeve so that it is positively driven by and with the sleeve 81 and the shafts 60. overlaps its neighbors in the direction of the length of the shaft. One of the discs 14, at the opposite end of the series from the disc f2, carries a finger 15 which is longer than the others. The finger i5 is adapted to be arrested by engagement with a rod 16 which extends inward from the end 51 of the casing member 5|. The device made up of the discs H, 12 and M, to-

gether with their fingers is a well known structure for defining a prescribed range of angular movement covering several revolutions. When the tuner is at its clockwise limit of movement the finger 15 engages under the rod 16.

When the shaft 60 is turned from its clockwise limit in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the right hand end of the device (Figs. 2 and 3), the finger 15 is carried out of engagement with one side of the rod 16 and into engagement with the opposite side of the rod, by which it is positively arrested as in Fig. 2. The first or adjacent disc 10 can turn counter-clockwise almost a full revolution relative to the disc 14 before its finger H is obstructed and arrested by a lateral projection on the finger 15. The second disc 10 can similarly turn nearly a full revolution relative to the first before its finger H is obstructed and arrested in a similar manner. Each disc adds nearly a revolution to the available range of movement. The total amount of rotation permitted shaft 60 is the sum of the lost motion Each of the fingers Ti :7 of thediscs relative to one another. In the present instance, the device is designed to permit the shaft 69 to be rotated through a range of ten full turns.

The sleeve 6! is fast with a metallic shaft section 1! (Fig. 3), which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 19' carried by the end 51 of the casing member 5|. The shaft section TI carries a sleeve I8 which is secured in fixed position upon the shaft section by one or more set screws I9. The sleeve 18 is formed with a notched flange 89. The sleeve extends through the gear l9, including a hub 82 which is unitary with the gear. The gear is rotatably mounted upon the sleeve, being held in place on the sleeve and against the flange 89 by a split ring 83, which bears laterally against the gear I9, and engages with spring pressure in a groove formed in the sleeve I8.

The gear hub 82 is formed with a tongue 84 which extends into the notch 89a of the flange 89 with clearance to permit lost motion of the gear relative to the shaft TI. The provision of this lost motion does not detrimentally affect the accuracy of setting of. the shaft 11. On the contrary, it serves to prevent disturbance of the accurate setting that might be caused by vibration of the effective settable stop. Vibration of the set stop, or vibration transmitted to the set stop tends to operate the gear 8i a short distance in the reverse direction from that in which it was being driven in the selection of a station. The shaft IT has, of course, been driven in unison with the gear I9 up to the point of station selection. Should the gear, because of vibration, be driven a short distance in the opposite direction, it is important that the gearing alone be caused to shift in the opposite direction, without compelling the gear I! to turn with it and thereby disturb the tuning which has been correctly effected.

Another factor tending to disturb the setting is vibration of the tuner frame 5I relative to the frame of selector I. The frame structures are made as rigid as possible throughout in order to reduce vibration and to avoid objectionable play of'the parts. Complete freedom from vibration is, of course, unattainable. Vibration of frame 5! which tends to turn the gear I9 in a forward (counter-clockwise) direction is arrested by the set stop which arrested the forward operation of the tuner. Vibratory movement in that direction does not, therefore, disturb the tuning more than momentarily. Movement of the gear I9 in the opposite direction is not opposed, however, and vibration tending to produce such movement would cause the tuner to be permanently displaced from the desired setting if the lost motion connection were not provided between the gear I9 and the tuner shaft.

There are as many of the variable inductance units 6| upon the shaft 59 as there are circuits to be tuned in the receiver. In the illustrative apparatus three of these units are employed. The units are essentially duplicates of one another, although the windings may constitute right hand spirals or left hand spirals without altering the principle of operation, and right and left hand spiral coils may be employed in the same mechanism.

The variable inductance unit illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises a right hand spiral coil 9| of highly conductive wire, the wire being firmly wound into place upon a grooved insulating coil form 92. The coil form rigidly supports the coil and spaces the coil turns from one another.

8 An insulating block 93 is secured by screws 94 over one of the openings 54 in the upright wall 53 of the frame 51.

A conductive metallic guide plate 95 having a guide slot 96 formed in it, is attached upon the forward face of the block 93. A conductive rider 9! has its body portion received and guided in the slot 96, and is formed with oppositely extending arms 98 which rest upon, embrace and bear with spring pressure against points on the coil windings which are separated about from one another. As the coil is turned it drives the rider along the slot 96. The rider is conductively engaged with the plate 95. The plate is formed with two terminal ears 99 and I99 which extend through the block 93 and project rearwardly therefrom.

A spring finger I9I (Fig. 3) extends through the block 93 in contact with the car 99 and bears against a conductive plate I92 which is affixed to the right hand end of the coil form 92 and is conductively connected to one end of the winding 9|. Thus, the rider and the right hand end of the winding 9| are maintained at the same potential in the circuit.

The opposite end of the winding 9I is conductively connected to a conductive plate I93 which is affixed to the left hand end of the coil form 92. A finger I93a (see Fig. 2 also) is secured in the block 93, and has a terminal portion I94 which extends rearwardly from the block for connection in the circuit to be tuned.

The arrangement is such that the rider is caused to travel from right to left as the shaft 2 and the stop carrying gears 1, 8, and 8a to 871. are driven counter-clockwise, the direction which is consistently referred to herein as the direction of forward drive. Thus, as the parts are operated in a forward direction the effective portion of the coil which lies between the left hand end of the coil and the rider is progressively diminished in length, so that the effective inductance included in the circuit is progressively diminished. The apparatus could just as well have been designed to increase the effective inductance as the shaft is turned in the forward direction, but in the illustrative apparatus that is not the case. The other two inductance units (not shown) operate in harmony with the inductance unit which has been shown and described, progressively to diminish the effective inductance as the shaft 2 is turned in a forward or counter-clockwise direction.

The unit 3 is shown with the open sides of the frame member 5I facing upwardly and to the front. A cover plate I95 extends over the top of the tuner frame 5| and down at the front thereof. This cover plate is secured by screws I96 and I91 threaded into the frame 5|. The unit 3 can, if desired, be turned in its entirety through 90 making the wall 52 a rear upright wall and the wall 53 a horizontal top wall. In such a case, the wall 52 would be attached to the posts 51 and 58 by the screws 59.

The driver gear I9 of the tuner shaft 2 is constantly engaged and driven by the gear 9 which is fast upon a shaft III, this being the shaft upon which the broad pinion 6 is made fast.

The gear 9 is made fast with the shaft III by a set screw I I2 which is threaded through the hub of the gear and into firm engagement with the shaft. The shaft III is supported in ball bearings II 3 which are carried in the upright plates I8 and I9. Each ball bearing is held in are in all respects duplicates of one another.

been noted, normally in driving engagement with each of the gears I, 8 and 8a to 811. inclusive. Each of these gears carries a single stop, the stops being designated H6 in the case of the timer gear I, I I! in the case of the first or right hand selecting gear 8, and II'Ia to H111. in the case of the selecting gears 8a to 871., respectively (Figs. 2 and 4). The gears I, 8 and 8a to 8h, are in all respects duplicates of one another.

An individual carrier is provided for each of the gears I, 8 and 8a to 8h. The carrier I4 for the gear 8 and the carriers for the other gears A description, therefore, of' the carrier I4 of the gear 8 will sufiice for describing the carriers of all the gears.

All the carriers are mounted upon a round shaft H3 (Figs. 2, 7 and 12) which extends between the upright plates I8 and I9 and is held to them by screws II9. Each carrier comprises a pair of parallel plates I28. The plates are formed with square openings I2I, the sides of the squares being substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft H8. The plates are revolubly mounted upon the shaft and are provided with the square bearings for a purpose which will be explained at a subsequent point.

The plates of a carrier are connected to one another at their lower corners by spacer rivets I22. They are also connected to one another at their upper corners by spacer rivets I23. At its forward corner the gear 8 is revolubly supported.

The gear 8 is interposed between spacing washers I24, which, togethe with the gear, just fill the space between the plates I20. A cylindrical bearing pin I25 has a driven fit with the gear and washers, and projects at its opposite ends beyond the washers to occupy square bearing openings I26 formed in the plates I20.

A bent plate I 26a (Figs. 2, 4 and 7), extends across the machine between the upright plates I1 and I8, and is provided with down-turned ears I21 which are formed with notches I2'Ia to embrace end portions of the shaft H8. The ears I2I are secured to the end plates I8 and I3 by screws I28. The down-turned rear end, I26b, of the plate I26a is formed with notches I260 (Figs. 4 and 12) in which spring wires I29 engage. Each spring wire I29 extends down over the forward face of the shaft H8 and engages beneath the spacing rivet I22 of an associated gear carrier. The springs rock the carriers about their pivots (the axis of the shaft II 8) to urge the selector gears into engagement with the pinion 6. The springs serve also to urge their respective carriers upward and toward the front so that the shaft I I8 is caused to contact the lower and rear faces of the square openings I2 I.

The upper end of the carrier I3 bears against a grooved rod I38 which extends between the upright plates I8 and I9. The rod I38 is secured to the plate I9 by a screw I3I and to the plate I8 by a reduced threaded end portion of a rod I32. The reduced threaded end portion of the rod I32 is passed through the plate I8 and is threaded into an end of the rod I30 (Fig- 4).

The rod I32 is formed with a polygonal enlargement I33 adjacent the plate I8, and extends toward the right into contact with the motor supporting plate 36, being secured to the plate 36 by a screw I34. The plates I22 of each, carrier ente circumferential grooves I35, formed in the rod I 30 and engage the rod in the bases of the grooves. The rod serves, therefore, both as a stop for determining the normal rotative position of the carrier and as an aliner for the carrier plates.

The advantage of all the square bearings will be hereinafter explained.

As has been previously mentioned, the setting of the stops for cooperating with the selector gear stops is controlled from keys I2 and I2a to I2h, inclusive, and the manual control key I5 is also provided.

The key I5 is mounted upon a slide I4I (Figs. 1, 4 and 14). The slide I 4| is guided by a notch formed in the upper edge of the plate 28 and an opposed notch formed in the lower edge of a plate I 42.

The plate I42 is secured by screws I43 to a rectangular cross bar I44. The bar I44 is secured by screws I45 to the upright plates I1 and I8. The bar I44 is held firmly against turning. A rod I46 having rearwardly turned ends extends across the face of plate I42 so as to lie directly in front of a series of openings I4'I formed in the plate. There is one of these openings for each of the keys I5, I2 and I2a to I2h, inclusive. The ends I48 of the rod I46 extend rearwardly through openings formed in the plate I42.

A tension coil spring I49 (Fig. 1) extends through one of the openings I 41, and has one end disposed around the rod I46 to anchor the forward end of the spring. The rear end of the spring is connected to the slide I4I' upon which the key I5 is mounted.

The slide MI is formed with a rearwardly opening slot I58, which receives a grooved portion I5I of a cross rod I 52. The cross rod I 52 extends between the plates I8 and I9, and is held to the plates by screws I53 (Fig. 5). The grooved rod serves to support the rear end of the slide MI, and also to cooperate with the notches in the plates 28 and I42 for guiding the slide in an assigned path.

As thus far described, the slide which carries the key I5 is the same as slides I4I, I4Ia to I4Ih which are provided for carrying the keys I2 and I'2a to I2h, inclusive. The only variation resides in the fact that the key stems take off alternately from the lower and upper margins of the slides. Thus the keys are arranged in two lines, the lower line including the key I5 and alternate keys of the station selecting set, while the upper line includes the other alternate keys of the station selecting set.

The slides I4I, I4Ia to I4Ih for the station selector keys are also supported by grooved portions I 5I of the rod I52 and by notches in the plates 29 and I42. These slides are also urged in a fo ward direction by tension coil springs I49.

Each of the slides I4I, I4I', I4Ia to I4Ih is formed with a pointed projection I56 (Fig, 2), on its lower face for coo eratin with a latch bar I5'I (see Figs. 4 and 5 also). The latch bar is pivotally mounted in the plates I8 and I9 by ha ing its end portions I58 disposed in ooenings I58 formed in the plates. The latch bar is normally held up by a tension coil spring I59 so that its upturned rear end engages the lower faces of all the slides I4I, the spring being connected to the rear end of the latch bar and to a fixed arm I 68 which is carried by the rod I44 and extends rearwardly from the rod.

The normal positions of the slides MI are the forward positions thereof. Each of the slides Mi, Mi, I4Iato I4Ih,hasashoulder I6I adapted to engage the rear wall of the plate 20 when the slide is pulled forward by the associated spring I49. The keys normally stand with their faces in substantially coplanar relation. When any one of the slides is thrust rearward by the key which it carries, it rocks the latch bar I51 in a clockwise direct-ion to permit the projection I55 to pass over the edge of the latch bar. When the point of the projection has passed the latch bar, the latch bar springs upward again to engage the forward face of the projection I 56 and thereby retain the slide in the rearward position to which it has been moved. Thus the key which is in control is identifiable by the fact that it is retained in a rearwardly displaced condition relative to the other keys.

When one of the key slides has been moved to and latched in a rearward position, the other key slides are stillfree to be operated. The thrusting of any one of them to the same rearward position, however, will rock the latch bar clear of the projection I56 of the slide first displaced, so that that slide will be immediately drawn by its spring I49 to its normal forward position. The slide which is being thrust to the rear, however, will be latched in its rearward position in the manner already described.

The slide I4I' which carries the key I differs from the other slides MI and I4Ia to I4Ih in the fact that it has affixed to it a rearwardly extending thrust bar I62 (Figs. 1, 4. and 14), the purpose of which will be explained later. The slide I4I of the key I5 has no station selecting stop associated with it. Each of the selector key slides MI and I4Ia to I4Ih is connected, however, by a tension coil spring I63 to an upwardly extending tail portion I64 of one of the settable stops II and Ila to IIh, inclusive. The stops and the supports for them are all duplicates of one another, so that a description of one will suffice for all.

The stop II, for example, comprises a pair of identically shaped plates I65. The shape of one of these plates is best illustrated in Fig. 2, where the stop II is shown in its effective station selecting position. At the upper ends of tail portions I64, the plates I65 are connected to one another in definitely spaced relation by spacer rivets I66. The tail portions extend upward from sector-like portions which at all times straddle the associated stop carrying gear 8.

In the normal or retracted position of the stop the plates stand outward beyond the path of the gear carried stop II1. When the settable stop is shifted to its rearward or set position, however, one of the plates I65 stands across the path of the stop H1 in position to arrest counterclockwise movement of the stop H1. The stop face is designated I61 in Fig. 2, while the face I68 is a camming face, as will be explained presently.

The plates I65 at their lower ends have washers I69 disposed at opposite sides of them. A bearillg pin I16 is passed through the washers and the plates and has a driven fit with each of them. The pin I16 projects at opposite sides beyond the washers to serve as bearings, the pin ends being received in square openings I1I of plates I12 which form parts of the stop carrier I16.

Each of the selector key slides MI, and I4Ia to I4 In is formed at its forward end with a down wardly opening notch I13. A finger I14 at the forward boundary of the notch I13 extends down between the plates I65 of the stop. A spacing rivet I extends between the plates I65 and secures the plates together in fixed spatial relation 12 in the slot area. The body of the rivet which lies between the plates is received in the slot I13, but is much narrower than the slot, so that there is provision for considerable lost motion between the rivet I15 and the associated slide I4I.

In the forward position of a station selector slide, the finger I14 engages the rivet I15 to pull the settable stop forward and hold it out of engagement with the guiding and abutment rod I52. This places the spring I63 under tension. When a key slide MI is thrust rearwardly, the rear end of the spring I63 is carried rearwardly by the slide, and the spring pulls the settable stop about the pivot defined by the bearing pin I19 and the square bearing I1I into engagement with the rod I52. This is the rear or set position of the stop in which one of the plates I65 extends across the path of the gear carried stop If, at the time when the stop is set in this rearward position, the gear carried stop H1 is disposed in a counter-clockwise direction from the stop II, the gear 8 will have to be operated in a clockwise direction to a limiting position, and then operated counterclockwise until it is intercepted and arrested by engagement with the stop II. During such clockwise operation, the stop I I1 engages the surface I68 of one of the plates I65 to rock the stop II counter-clockwise against the tension of the spring I63. As soon as the stop II1 has passed clear of the surface I68, the spring I13 immediately restores the stop to its rearward or set position. When the gear 8 is subsequently operated counter-clockwise, the stop H1 is carried against the surface I61 and the gear is positively arrested in a predetermined position.

The plates I12 of each stop carrier I16 are substantially triangular in form. The settable stop is pivotally mounted in the rear corner of the carrier. The upper forward corners of the carrier are connected to one another in definitely spaced relation by spacer rivets I11. The lower forward corners are similarly connected together in definitely spaced relation by spacer rivets I18. The plates I12 are formed with square openings I19. A stationary shaft I88 extends through the square openings and forms a pivotal support for the carriers. The shaft I is connected to the plates I8 and I9 by screws I8I. Collars I82 mounted upon the shaft I89 space the carriers from one another.

A plate I83 (Figs. 2 and '1) is aihxed by screws I84 to the under side of bars 2I and 22. The plate I83 has a downturned rear margin through which openings I85 are formed, Each opening I85 receives one end of a leaf spring I86. The opposite end of the leaf spring extends under stress around the forward edge of the plate I83 and engages behind the spacer rivet I18 at the forward lower corner of one of the stop carriers I16. One of the Vernier adjusting screws, for example I1, is threaded through a plate I88 to bear against the rivet I18 in opposition to the spring I86.

The plate I88 is secured to the rear face of bar 25 by screws I39 and extends upward from the bar 25. The slotted head of the screw I1 is accessible through an opening I99 formed in the plate 20. The slotted heads of similar screws Ila to I'lh, inclusive, are similarly made accessible through openings I9lla to I90h formed in the plate 20. The holes I90 and I9Ilct-I9I1h are of smaller diameter than the heads of screws I1 and Ila-Uh. By this means a mechanical limit is put on the counter-clockwise rotation of the screws. This prevents the screws from becoming disengaged or allowed to go beyond their normal travel.

The function of each spring I86 is to hold the associated spacer rivet I18 firmly against one end of the Vernier screw which engages it. screwing in of the vernier screw Il rocks the carrier I76 in a counter-clockwise direction about the axis of shaft I80, and serves thereby to lift the stop II (as in Fig. 13), and particularly the surface It! thereof which Stands in the path of gear carried stop I ll. Retraction of the vernier screw obviously has the opposite effect, since the spring I86 causes the rivet I18 to maintain constant engagement with the end of the screw.

As has already been indicated, a reversible motor is provided for driving the tuner and the stop carrying gears. Also, as previously noted, the motor is carried by a flanged plate 36. The plate 36 is supported at its four corners. It is attached at its two lower corners to the bar 34 by screws I9I (Figs. 1 and 3). The attachment of the plate at its upper forward corner to the rod I32 by the screw I34 has already been described. A screw I9Ia connects the upper rear corner of the plate 36 to a rod I9Ib. The rod I9Ib has a reduced threaded end screwed into the plate I8. The motor 5 is secured to the plate 36 by bolts I92 and nuts I83.

The motor shaft 4 (Figs, 1 and 3) has fixed upon it a pinion I95 which drives a gear I96 supported upon a stub shaft I91. A pinion I98, fast upon the pinion I96, drives a large gear I99 which is revolubly mounted upon a shaft 200, the shaft 200 being rigidly supported in the plate 36. The gear I99 has affixed to it a disc 20I. A split ring 202 lodged in a groove of the shaft 200 bears against the disc to press the gear hub 203 against a shoulder formed on a flange of shaft 200.

A pin 205 (Fig. 2) is carried rigidly by the disc 20I and extends leftward therefrom (Fig. 3), and through a pole 206a in a clutch disc 206. The clutch disc 206 is revolubly mounted upon the right-hand end of the shaft III of the pinion 0. The clutch disc is formed with a diametrically extending groove 20! in its left-hand face. A thick disc 200, fast on shaft III, carries a pair of steel balls 209 which are normally engaged in the groove 20'! as in Fig. 14, to effect a driving connection from the disc 206 to the disc 208, and thence through the shaft I II to the pinion 6 and the gear 9.

The grooved disc 206 is urged toward the pawl carrying disc 208 by a compression coil spring 2I0 (Fig. 3), which bears at its left-hand end against the disc 205 and at its right-hand end against a collar 2. A split ring 2I2 lodged in a groove at the right-hand end of shaft II I supports the collar 2 against the end thrust of the spring 2I0. The purpose of the yielding drive which is effected through the described clutch mechanism will be made apparent when the operation of the motor is described.

The motor is provided with three terminals 2I2, 2I3 and 2I4, (Figs. 1, 3 and 14). The terminal 2| 2 is constantly connected to a line conductor 2I5. The terminals 2I3 and 2I4 may alternatively be connected through mechanism to be described with the other line conductor 2%. When the terminal 2I3 is in circuit, the motor is driven in a counter-clockwise direction, driving the tuner shaft and the stop carryinggears in the backward or clockwise direction.

Conductor main 2i 6 is connected to a snap-over toggle switch 2I'I of a well known type. This switch as illustrated comprises three conductive arms 2I8, 2I9 and 220. The arms 2I8 and 2I9 are in conductive contact with one another and are anchored at their fixed ends between insulating blocks 22I and 222. The corresponding end of the conductor 220 is anchored between insulating block 222 and a further insulating block 223. The conductor 220 is rigidand carries a fixed contact, while the conductor 2I9 is flexible and carries a movable contact. The conductor 2I8 constitutes a flexible actuating arm which is formed with a cut-out through which the free end of conductor arm. 2I9 plays. The conductors 2I9 and 220 carry cooperative contacts. A semicircular spring 224 engages at its opposite ends with the conductors 2 I 8 and 2 I 9 and is held under compression by them.

As illustrated inFlg. 14, the free end of conductor 2I0 is thrust to the right. The effect of this displacement of the arm 2I8 is to cause spring 224 to thrust the free end of conductor 2| 9 toward the left, so that the contact carried by conductor 2I9 is disengaged from the contact carried by the conductor 220. When the free end of the conductive arm 2I8 is permitted to move to the left, it crosses the line of centers of the springs and causes the free end of conductor 2I9 to be snapped over toward the right for completing the circuit.

The thrust bar I 62 afiixed to the slide I 4| of the manual tuning key I5 is formed with a side arm 226 (Figs. 1, 4' and 14), which extends through an opening 225 in the upright plate I8. An insulating block 221 secured on the end of the arm 226 engages the'free end of the arm 2 I8 and thrusts it rearwardly as the key I5 is thrust rearwardly from the position in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 14, to make manual tuning available. So long as the key I5 is retained in its rearward position, the switch 2| 1 is held open, as shown in Fig. 14, and the motor is incapacitated. At the same time none of the settable stops (I I1, and I Ila to I IIh) is in its effective rearward position, so that the full range is freely available for man ual tuning.

The conductor 220 of switch 2I'I is connected by conductor 228 (Fig. 14;) to a motor reversing switch 229. This switch is similar to the switch 2II, but differs/in that instead of having merely open and closed positions, it is adapted to close either of two circuits alternatively. The switch comprises two rigid contact carrying conductors 230 and 23I (see Fig. 1 also), a flexible contact carrying conductor 232, a flexible operating arm 233, and a stressed semi-circular spring 234. The conductive members 232 and 233 are in conductive engagement with one another and are connected to the conductor 228. They are separated from the conductor 23I by an insulating block 235 and from the conductor 230 by an insulating block 236. Insulating blocks 231 and 238 are secured at the outer sides of the conductors 23I and. 230,. respectively.

The principle of operation of the switch 229 is precisely the same as that of the switch 2| 1. When the arm 223 is moved to the left (as in Figs. 1 and 14), the flexible conductor 232 is thrust to the right to move its contact into engagement with the contact carried by rigid arm 23I. When the force displacing the arm 233 to the left is removed, the arm moves to the right under its own power (as in Fig. 9), and causes the spring 234 to snap the flexible conductor 232 over to the left so that the conductor 232 carries its contact into as'oijsss engagement with the contact carried by rigid conductor 230.

As the parts are shown in Fig. 14, the flexible arm 233 is displaced toward the left by a lever 240 which is carried upon a pivot screw 24I, the pivot screw in turn being mounted upon the upright plate I8. The under face of the forward end of the lever 240 is shown pressing against the flexible arm 233 through an insulating block 242 which is secured upon the free end of the flexible arm. The rear end of the lever 240 includes a finger 243 which extends through a hole 243a in the plate I8 and rests upon a relatively high surface of the thrust bar I62 of the manual tuning key slide.

A awl 244 carried on a pivot screw 245 which is affixed to the plate I8 is urged clockwise by a tension spring 246. The spring 246 is connected to the tail of the pawl and to an upper portion of the plate 20. The pawl, as shown in Fig. 14, has its nose caught over the forward end of the lever 240. V The pawl serves to hold the lever against the action of spring arm 233 when the slide MI is returned to its normal position shown in Fig. 1. In the positions of the parts illustrated in Fig. 14, the flexible arm 233 is displaced far enough to the left by the lever 24!] to throw the contact arm 232 over to the right, so that the contacts carried by arms 232 and 23I are in engagement with one another. There is no point in tracing out the circuit, however, since with the parts in the conditions shown in Fig. 14 the switch 2I1 stands open.

As soon as one of the station selecting keys is thrust rearward, however, the latch bar I51 is rocked clockwise, as has already been explained. In the course of such movement the latch bar engages a tail portion 241a of the pawl 244 (Figs. 1, 4 and 14) which extends through an opening 241 in the plate I8. The latch bar acts upon the tail portion 241 to rock the pawl counterclockwise. Since, at the same time, the slide I4I' which carries key I5 is pulled forward by its spring I49, the high part of thrust bar IE2 is withdrawn from beneath the lever 240, the forward end of the lever 249 is left unsupported, and the lever is rocked in a clockwise direction by the force of the flexible arm 233 of the switch 229 to the position in Fig. 9. This permits the switch arm 233 to move far enough to the right to cause the flexible arm 232 to be swung over to the left. Such operation, of course, carries the contact of arm 232 into engagement with the contact of arm 230.

The latch bar I51 is rocked clockwise only momentarily as an incident of the thrusting rearward of one of the station selector keys. In that moment, however, the lever 240 is released by the pawl 244 and moves into position where its rear end cannot again be caught and held down by the nose of the pawl. When the latch bar I51 resumes its normal position, the pawl 244 seeks to regain its former position, but it engages instead against an end face of the lever 240, as in Fig. 9.

When the key I5 is again thrust rearward, the pawl is rocked counter-clockwise as before. An inclined surface 250 of the thrust bar I62 lifts the rear end of the lever 240, depressing the forward end of the lever 240, so that when the latch bar I51 leaves the pawl free to rock clockwise again, the pawl can move in over the corner of the lever.

Since the motor cannot operate with the parts in the condition shown in Fig. 14, because the switch 2I1 is open, it will now be assumed that one of the station selector keys is thrust rearwardly, So as to release the key I5 and restore it to its normal position. This causes the switch M1 to be closed and the circuit to be continued through conductor 228, switch members 232 and 232 of motor reversing switch 229, conductor 25I, motor terminals 2 I3 and 2I2, and line conductor 2I5. This completes the circuitsior operating the motor backward.

As the motor drives the selector gears backward (i. e. clockwise), the rider 91 which cooperates with the coil 9I moves toward the right. As the rider nears its right-hand limit of movement, the stop M6 on timer gear I engages the tail 243 of lever 240, as in Fig. 10, causing the forward end of the lever 244 to push the flexible arm 233 of switch 229 to the left. By the time the flexible arm 233 has reached the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 14 it will have caused the switch arm 232 to snap over into conductive engagement with the contact carried by rigid arm 23L This reverses the motor energization.

The rigid switch arm 23! is connected to a conductor 252 which, in turn, is connected to the flexible arms 253 and 254 of a switch 255.

The switch 255 includes rigid conductors 256 and 251 and insulating blocks258, 259, 266 and 26L A semi-circular spring 262 is compressed between the arms 254 and 253. The switch is exactly like the switch 229 except that the rigid conductor 251 is a mere dead end, not being connected to anything.

In the normal operative condition of the parts, the arm 253 is biased to the left by its own force and acts through the spring 262 to force the flexible arm 254 toward the right as in Fig. 14. The circuit traced through conductor 252 is, therefore, continued through conductors 254 and 256 and a conductor 263 to the motor terminal 2L4. From the motor terminal 2l4 the current passes through the motor to the terminal M2 and thence to line conductor M5.

The motor drive is reversed by the action of the switch 222 before the stop H6 has reached the position illustrated in Fig. 10 in which it would be positively arrested by the lever 249. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the finger 243 at the rear end of the lever 242 is in engagement with the upper edge of the opening 24311 of the plate 53 through which the finger 243 extends. In actual practice this position will never be attained under power operation, because the motor will previously have come to rest and started to operate in the opposite direction. The exact point of re versal with reference to the'operating range of the inductive tuner is not important, so long as reversal occurs within the range and near enough to one limit of the range, to avoid the wasting of a substantial part of the available range.

At the time of motor reversal, all of the station selector stops carried by the station selector gears are disposed clockwise from the positions in which they are adapted to be arrested by their cooperative settable stops. That is to say, all of them are operative in a counterclockwise direction by the motor to or beyond the arresting position.

When the motor has been reversed as described, it continues to operate in the direction to drive the tuner and the stop carrying gears forward until one of the gear carried stops engages the settable stop which is at the moment set in effective position to arrest operation of the gears, the motor'and the tuner. InFig. 2, the stop II1 on gear 8: is shown in engagement with thesurface I61 of thesettable stop. with which it cooperates to perform: such :an arresting. function. At. this pointoa station-selecting cycle has been completed and. the; tunerv has been. tuned to the frequencyzof .the station designed tobe brought in by operation :02: selector key 12.

When the stop carrying gears, the pinion 6 andv the tuner have been arrested as just described, the'motor. is permitted to'overthrowrelative to, the gearing, and isgcausedasan incident of. such overthrow tobe open-ci-rcuited. It-will be remembered that the grooved disc Ziliiieurged toward the ball carryingdisc wilby a; spring 25H! (Fig. 3), and that the balls. 269. normally rest in the. groove 20'! of the disc 236, asin; Fig. 14.

When the disc 208 is abruptly'ar-rested, theinertia of .the 'motor and of the operating train-from the-motor to the disc. causes the disc ZN/to continue to turn. Since the balls 259 are held inplace-by the now stationary disc 298, the groove 20'! rides oiT the: balls. from the position: shown in Fig. 14 to the position in Fig. 3, so that balls displace the disc 266 to the right against the compressive force ofspring/210. The-flexible arm 253101. switch 2.55carries an insulatingblock 265 (see Fig. 2 also) which normally-bears lightly against the right-hand face of the disc Elites illustrated in. Fig. 14-. In this position the disc 2H6 hasnoefiect upon the arm 253, and the arm is. biasedv toward the left; as previously described to maintain the arm 254 swung overto the-right, also as previously described.

As; soon .as the. disc ,.2ii 6. turns relative to the disc-. 208 to lbring-a about the..physicalyseparation of .the. discsillustrated gill- Fig-. B t-he disc. 21! fiawill have moved the. arm 253towa-rdithe right to-the position .illustratedin Fig. S theneby causing v the switch arm.254 to-.-besswungr.to. the left-hand position to openv thelvforward driying circuit of the motor The partsretain these-positions; as illustrated: in Fig; 3 until another station selector key has been thrust to: the rear.

Thepawl. 244. ,(Fig. 14): and lever 24ll-;.retain the switch 2232111 thecondition illustrated in Fig. 1,4,; so that backward. drive-t the, motor is .also impossible.

When anothen. station-selector .,key isthrnstto the rear, the latch;bar I5] is tilted, rocks the nose of pawl 24tclear: of thedorwardend. of. lever 240, andpermitsthelever 240 to beswungvclockwise by the spring arm 23.3. .This'we-verses the. switch 229,,and sinceindriving the motor backward the current is not required to flow through. the

now open switch 255 the backwarddriving of the motor begins.

The first efiectofysuchbackward driving.,is..to carry the groove 20'!- around into position .toreceive theballs 2639,. thereby reestablishing the normal. condition of the clutch and the. closed conditionof the switch 255. When-thebackward drivingzinthe performance of the-cMclenow-being described reaches the-reversal point, the switch 229 is-reversed.= The switch 255 having been restored to a closed condition as an: incidentof. the backward; drive, the reversal of the switch 229 is now efiective' to; cause the, motor. to be driven forward.

As the parts. are; illustrated in Fig. 2-, aastation has been selected by the rearward actuation ,ofkey- I2. As the parts are illustratedflinz Fig. 8,

' that selection. has, not yet been disturbedbut the key l2a has been thrust rearward for the purpose of causing a'stationtobe selected by therengage unti-lsitheistop ll twsofgean ori arrested byen- "a foreach keythat-isto-be used for the automatic with; the pinion 6.

e s t w th: th zupn rsurface. of the. s ttab stop; I i as in Fig. 11,

:In setting up the. machine for operation the following procedure ispracticed'. First, the manual tuningbu-tton -15 is'pressed rearwardly, so as to disable the motor,-by opening the switch 2". The, carrier I3 of timer gear 1 is then swung counter-clockwiseuntil the gear has been moved out, of engagementwith the, pinion 6. A spacer 266 (approximately inch thick) is then inserted between the carrier andthe. rod I30 (as in Fig. 12). to retainthe gear 1 near to,.but clear of engagement Through the manual tuning knob 16 the inductivetuneris next operated backward toits limit of movement as determined by the arresting of finger (5 by, the lower side of stop arm 16 .(Fig. 2). The timing,v gear I is next operated backward until the. stop, LI 6 is positively. arrested by the lever 240 with the partsin the relative; positions illustrated in, Fig. 10. The. spacer block. 266 isthen removed to permit the gear 1 to reengage the pinion 6.

,lnorder to set the mechanism for selecting a predetermined station, the operator proceeds as follows: He first presses themanual tuning button to render the motor inoperative and to make sure that no settable stop is in position to interferewith manual operation of the tuner and the selector gears. He next manually tunes in the desired station until the reception is as clear as can be obtained.

Assuming that the key I2 is to be used in this instance, the stationselector gear 8 is next disengaged from the pinion 6 in. the manner previouslydescribed with reference to the timergear. The spacer 266 is inserted in place to hold the gear 8" clear of" engagement with the pinion 6. The freed station selector gear is next rotated ina forward direction until the-bottom edge of the stop H1 is parallel to the upper edge of the suitablestop il a. At this time, however, the stop Ha is not set, since the manual tuning key is in control. The spacer block is next removed to permit-the gear 8 to reengage the pinion 6. The unit is now ready for push-button operationv and the key i2 is, therefore, actuated to test out the accuracyof' the automatic station selection. If,

, as isprobable, the station is not brought in automatically to the best advantage, the associated Vernier. screw 11 is operatedto perfect the tuning.

The timing gear requires to be set just once. The station selecting adjusting is to be repeated selection of a station. The vernier adjustment for each selectortrain ismade just once.

The advantage of employing: square bearings for round shafts in the several instances .illus-g trated herein residesinthefact that precision of op a ion may be realize d,;:and this without. the necessity for observing trou-blesomely fine: manufacturing tolerances. The function of the automatic tun-ingmechanismis toassure that each ment-of thestop l Ha oi gear fla withlitscooperatime: a given stationselector; key is operated the tuner will be automatically tuned within practical limits of error to the same frequency. Since a Vernier adjusting means is provided in connection with each station selecting train, the important thing is not that the axes of the various shafts shall occupy predetermined positions, but rather that the axes of the shafts shall uniformly occupy precisely determined positions. Any initial error can be compensated by adjustment of the vernier mechanism, but once trains have been set up for selecting desired stations and the vernier adjustments have been made, there must be no avoidable variation of response.

When a round shaft is mounted in a round bearing, manufacturing tolerances must be provided. The shaft is necessarily free to have a slight planetary movement, so that the position of its axis is not precisely determined. Even though the shaft be biased toward one side of its round bearing, the bias toward a precisely determined position is not pronounced.

When a round shaft is mounted in a square opening, however, and is urged toward a definite corner of the opening, the distance of the shaft axis from such corner is definite and uniform, and hence the position of the shaft axis relative to the plate in which the square opening is formed is precisely determined, no matter what tolerances may have been employed in the manufacture of the shaft and in the cutting of the square opening. Precision is not required throughout the operation of the parts, but it is required at the conclusion of a station selecting operation.

In actual practice, of course, it is easy to cause the square openings to fit the shafts reasonably closely. The play of the shafts in the square openings is greatly exaggerated in the drawing simply for the purpose of making visually manifest the fact that some freedom may be tolerated and is present. Since each shaft will be held operatively near to its assigned position, it is not necessary, during operation, that a given shaft be urged constantly toward a prescribed corner of the square opening, so long as it is urged toward such corner at the conclusion of a station selecting operation.

The timer gear is only required to reverse the motor within the operative range'of the tuner and near one limit of operation of the tuner. There is nothing exacting about the operation and construction of the timer gear. Its carrier is made like the carriers of the station selecting gears only because it is cheaper to duplicate the selecting gear carriers than it is to provide a special carrier designed for the timer gear. The mounting duplicates that of the selector gear carriers for the same reason. There is no vernier adjusting mechanism for the timer gear.

The limiting action of the station selector gears must, on the other hand, be as precise as possible. The gear carrier of each station selector gear is urged upward and forward by its spring i29, so that the lower and rear sides of the square opening l2! always engage the shaft H8. The spring I29 also urges the carrier in a clockwise direction about the axis of shaft H8 and into engagement with the bases of the grooves formed in the shaft I30. An unvarying position for the carrier is, therefore, determined.

In the arrested position of the gear 8, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the pinion 6 applies its driving force at the rear upper side of the gear in an upward and forward direction, The arresting force of the set stop H is applied through stop Ill in an upward and slightly rearward direction. The resultant of these forces urges the gear carrying pin I25 toward the upper corner of the square opening I26 in which it is revolubly mounted. The position of the gear and its relation to the pinion 5 are, therefore, definitely determined.

Similarly, the supporting pin Ill) of the stop I l is urged toward the lower corner of the square opening I'H of the stop carrier I76, while the upper forward corner of the opening I19 of the carrier is urged toward the axis of the shaft I80. The positions of all these parts at the conclusion of a station selecting operation are, therefore, invariably the same. The securement of exactly the desired frequency is, as has been previously pointed out, dependent upon the once performed setting of the Vernier adjusting screw.

The angular bearing openings have been referred to as square because they have been illustratively shown as square. Broadly the same principle would apply whether the bearing surfaces be round or straight, so long as the bearing engages the shaft at only two points which are separated from one another by an angle of substantial magnitude.

I have described What I believe to be the best embodiment of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotor setting mechanism, in combination, a settable rotor, a reversible motor, a drive train operated by the motor and positively connected to operate the rotor, a series of stop carrying rotary members, said train including a gear member connected to drive said rotary members in unison, individually settable stops cooperative with the respective operated stops carried by the rotary members, spring means for yieldingly retaining each of the settable stops when set in its set position, each settable stop having a cam face through which it may be momentarily cammed aside by the cooperative operated stop when the latter is driven in a first direction, an abrupt face adapted to intercept the cooperative operated stop, when the latter is driven in the opposite direction, for effecting station selection, a setting key for each settable stop, and motor control mechanism responsive to the operation of any such setting key including switch and circuit mechanism for first actuating the motor to drive the operated stops in the first direction until a limit of movement has been reached in which all the operated stops are in back of the rotor setting positions, reversing mechanism effective at such limit for reversing the direction of motor operation to cause the motor to drive the operated stops in the second direction until operation of the drive train is arrested by the set stop, and switch actuating mechanism responsive to the inertia of the motor upon arrest of the drive train to deenergize the motor.

2. In a rotor setting mechanism having a settable rotor operable through a limited range, in combination, a reversible motor, a drive train operated by the motor and positively connected to operate the settable rotor, a series of stop carrying rotary members positively driven by said train, individually settable stops cooperative with the respective operated stops to arrest operation of the settable rotor, a setting key for each settable stop, and motor control mechanism responsheets the operation" of any such settingke'y" incIuding 'TorW-ard and-backward driving circuits, a

reversin switch for alternatively closing the respective circuitsymechanis'moperated by the motor 'tbli'miti backward operation by operating the reversingswitch when abackward limit is reached in wliic'hall ofthe operated-stops'are in back of the rotor setting positions, a slipdrive connection between-the motoran'd -said drive train, a disabling switch included exclusively in the forward driving circuit, mechanism responsive to relative rotation of the motor and the drive train when the drive train is arrested to open said disabling switch, means for retaining the reversing switch in its forward'driving position at the conclusion of a station selecting operationso that the-motor can be. driven in neither forward nor backward direction, and mechanism responsive to the setting oi another station selectingkey to cause the reversing switch to be operated to reestablish-the backwarddriving circuit.

3. In a rotor setting mechanism having a settable rotor operable through a limited range, in combination, a reversible motor, a drive train operated by the motor and positively connected to operate the settable rotor, a series of stop carrying rotary members positively driven by said train, individually settable stops cooperative with the respective operated stops to arrest operation of the settable rotor, a setting key for each settable stop, and motor control mechanism responsive to the operation of any such setting key in cluding forward and backward driving circuits, a reversing switch for alternatively closing the respective circuits, mechanism operated by the motor to limit backward operation by operating the reversing switch when a backward limit is reached in which all of the operated stops are in back of the rotor setting positions, a slip drive connection between the motor and said drive train, a disabling switch included exclusively in the forward driving circuit, mechanism responsive to relative rotation of the motor and the drive train when the drive train is arrested to open said switch, means for retaining the reversing switch in its forward driving position at the conclusion of a station selecting operation so that the motor can be driven in neither forward nor backward direction, and mechanism responsive to the setting of another station selecting key to cause the reversing switch to be operated to reestablish the backward driving circuit, the mechanism responsive to relative rotation of the motor and the drive train and the disabling switch itself being constructed and arranged to cause the disabling switch to be closed as an incident of such backward drive, so that the forward drive may follow at the limit of backward drive.

4. In a rotor setting mechanism which includes a motor, a drive train operated by the motor, and a series of stop carrying gears driven by the drive train, in combination, a series of pivotally mounted individually settable stops cooperative with the respective operated stops to arrest operation of the drive train, a key carrying slide associated with each settable stop, each slide constructed and arranged positively to move the associated stop away from setting position when moved in one direction, a tension spring connected at its forward end to the stop and at its rear end to the slide for exerting a yielding rearward pull upon the settable stop to move the stop yieldingly to set position when the associated slide is displaced rearwardly, stationary abutment means for limiting rearward movements of the settable stops, and

2'2 latbnmechanisnr for retaining the slidesun reap wardly' displaced positions.

5. In -a rotor setting: mechanism whi'cnincludes a motor, a drive train operated by the motor; and

a series of stati'on' selecting stop carrying gears driverrby the drive train, in combination -aseries of -pivotally mounted iridividual'settable' stops-co operative-with the respective: operated stops to" arrest operation oi the driv'e trainea key car rying slid-e associated with each settable stop for-setting the same, each settabl'estop comprising-apair of plates secured at a fi'xed distancefro'm one edaindividually settable stops 'cooperative'with the respective operated stops to arrest operatlonrof the drive train, a pivotally mounted carrier for each of the settable stops upon which the stop is pivotally mounted, a spring engaging each carrier to urge it in one direction about its mounting pivot, a screw engaging the carrier in opposition to the spring, and a stationary supporting member through which the screw is threaded, said screw being adjustable to change micrometrically the set position of the stop.

7. In a rotor setting mechanism which includes a motor, a drive train operated by the motor, and a series of stop carrying gears driven by the drive train, in combination, a series of pivotally mounted individually settable stops cooperative with th respective stops, to arrest operation of the drive train, a pivotally mounted carrier for each of the settable stops upon which the stop is pivotally mounted, a spring engaging each carrier to urge it in one direction about its mounting pivot, a screw engaging the carrier in opposition to the spring, and a stationary supporting member through which the screw is threaded, said screw being adjustable to change micrometrically the set position Of the stop, said carrier being supported through an angular bearing upon a round shaft and said settable stop having a round shaft supported in an angular bearing of the carrier.

8. In a rotor setting mechanism which includes a motor, a settable rotor, and a drive train operated by the motor and positively connected to drive the settable rotor, in combination, a broad pinion positively drivenby said drive train, a series of stop carrying selector gears normally in mesh with the pinion, a shiftable carrier for each selector gear, and spring means urging each carrier in a direction to carry its associated selector gear into mesh with the pinion.

9. In a rotor setting mechanism which includes a motor, a settable rotor, and a drive train operated by the motor and positively connected to drive the settable rotor, in combination, a broad pinion positively driven by said drive train, a series of stop carrying selector gears normally in mesh with the pinion, a shiftable carrier for each selector gear, spring means urging each carrier in a direction to carry its associated selector gear into mesh with the pinion, and a stationary arresting rod in the paths of the carriers.

10. In a rotor setting mechanism which includes a motor, a settable rotor, and a drive train operated by the motor and positively connected to drive the settable rotor, in combination, a broad pinion positively driven by said drive train,

aromas rieiincluding a pair of parallel plates secured together at a fixed distance from one another,

' and a stationary arresting rod in the paths of the carriers, having grooves for receiving the plate edges to determine and maintain the operative attitudes of the carriers.

11. In a motor setting mechanism which includes a motor, a settable rotor, a tuner, and a drive train operated by the motor and positively connected to drive the settable rotor, in combination, a broad pinion positively driven by said drive train, a series of stop carrying selector gears normally in mesh with the pinion, a shiftable carrier for each selector gear, spring means urging each carrier in a direction to carrying its associated selector gear into mesh with the pinion, each 24' carrier including a pair of parallel plates secured together at" a fixed distance from one another, and a stationary arresting rod in the paths of the carriers, a round shaft supporting the carriers, the carriers having angular bearing openings receiving the shaft and also havin angular bearing openings for the selector gears, the selector gears being provided with round shafts.

ROBERT W. RITZER'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,153,865 Gersch Apr. 11, 1939 2,244,541 Marvel June 3, 1941 2,285,414 Collins June 9, 1942 2,334,724 Paessler Nov. 23, 1943 2,423,588 Elliott July 8, 1947 

